This invention pertains to RF communication systems or, more particularly, to a method of identifying subscribers in RF communication systems.
Modern-day radio frequency (RF) communication systems can be understood with reference to FIG. 1, which depicts a typical RF communication system (100). As shown, the RF communication system includes fixed equipment (3) arranged to facilitate communication between subscriber A (1) and subscriber B (2). Such systems typically identify subscribers by providing each subscriber an identification number (ID) unique within the system. As depicted in FIG. 1, subscriber A has identification ID.sub.A (43) and subscriber B has identification number ID.sub.B (44).
Certain RF systems also include a console. Such an arrangement (200) is shown in FIG. 2, which depicts a typical RF communication system equipped with a console (8) connected to the RF communication system's fixed equipment (6) via a suitable link (7). Since identification numbers ID.sub.A and ID.sub.B have been assigned so they are unique within the RF communication system, these numbers are also unique to the console and, as a result, the console is able to identify a subscriber on the basis of a single ID.
There are certain situations, however, where it may be desireable to connect the same console to more than one RF communication system. This arrangement (300) is depicted in FIG. 3, which shows a single console (11) connected to the fixed equipment (14) of a first communication system via a first link (12), and connected to the fixed equipment (15) of a second RF communication system via a second link (13).
In such an arrangement, it may be desireable for one or more subscribers to be capable of communicating in both RF communication systems. Such a subscriber is depicted as subscriber N (16) in FIG. 3. With this arrangement, when subscriber N communicates in the first RF communication system, it will use a first ID, that is, ID.sub.N #1 (45) to identify itself and, when subscriber N communicates in the second RF communication system, it will use a second ID, that is, ID.sub.N #2 (46) to identify itself. Also with this arrangement, whenever such a subscriber identifies itself to the console, the ID it uses will vary according to which system it is currently operating in. As a result, the console will not be able to identify such a subscriber on the basis of a single ID.
As a result of the foregoing, the inventor has discovered it would be desireable to have an improved way of identifying such subscribers to a console in a multiple-RF communication system arrangement.